In the darkest of times... they shone brighter than the stars.

Many are the stories of that mysterious land of Russia. Stories of heroes who gave their lives for God, Tsar, and country, and who left legacies that many a young child aspired to. Of course, so many of those stories are legends, a lifeline for people who had lost everything, and who preferred to remember a semi-fictional history that left out some of the more disturbing details.

But in spite of history's dark reality, you still have bright lights appearing in unexpected places-heroes and heroines whose lives read like adventure tales, whose fates are sometimes stranger than fiction.

This little book is a glimpse into the world of that Russia- a world filled with complex characters living out difficult lives in sometimes impossible circumstances. But more often than not, these heroes and heroines rose above all difficulties to become truly inspiring. In our own chaotic time, their stories are worthy of being retold again and again.